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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Aug-Sep;23(4):537-45.
doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2009.00992.x. Epub 2009 May 18.

Evaluation of a hand-held, computer-based intervention to promote early self-care behaviors after lung transplant

Annette DeVito Dabbs  1 , Mary Amanda Dew, Brad Myers, Alex Begey, Robert Hawkins, Dianxu Ren, Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, Erin Oconnell, Kenneth R McCurry
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Evaluation of a hand-held, computer-based intervention to promote early self-care behaviors after lung transplant

Annette DeVito Dabbs et al. Clin Transplant. 2009 Aug-Sep.

Abstract

Background: Lung transplant recipients are expected to perform self-care behaviors to maximize transplant-related health outcomes. Despite high non-adherence rates in performing these self-care behaviors, and the dire clinical consequences of such non-adherence, interventions are lacking. Pocket Personal Assistant for Tracking Health (Pocket PATH) is a hand-held device developed for patients to record health data, review data trends, and report condition changes to the transplant team.

Methods: A pilot trial was conducted to compare self-care agency, self-care behaviors, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between recipients randomized to use Pocket PATH (n = 15) vs. standard care (n = 15) for the first two months following hospital discharge after lung transplantation.

Results: Baseline characteristics were equivalent across groups. Patients in the Pocket PATH group showed significantly higher ratings of self-care agency, performed self-care behaviors at significantly higher rates, and reported significantly better HRQOL than standard care controls.

Conclusion: Pocket PATH is more efficacious than standard care in promoting early self-care agency, self-care behaviors, and HRQOL in lung recipients. A large-scale randomized controlled trial is needed to test the impact of Pocket PATH on long-term self-care behaviors.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram (56).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison of self-care behaviors between groups. Daily monitoring >80% of days (%); Spirometry >three per wk (%); High overall adherence to the medical regimen (%); Patient initiated contacts to coordinator (M, SE); Value of F has 1,27 df; Reported p values are after adjustment for multiple comparisons. p values <threshold are considered to be statistically significant; p values above threshold are not considered statistically significant.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Comparison of HRQOL outcomes between groups, means at follow-up. Adjusted for baseline levels. HRQOL, health related quality of life; SF-36, Short-Form-36 Health Survey; SCL-90, Symptom Checklist 90; SIP, Sickness Impact Profile. Data for SIP and SCL scores were log transformed to reduce skewness; group means and standard errors are reported using the original scaling to facilitate interpretation of results. Values of F have 1,27 df. Reported p values are after adjustment for multiple comparisons. p values < threshold are considered to be statistically significant; p values above threshold are not considered statistically significant.
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